Mary T. Christian

2003 Honoree

"I learned as a young woman that life's battles don't always go to the smartest or the prettiest or the strongest. The person who wins is the one who believes he or she can. We must believe in ourselves before we can expect others to believe in us." - Mary T. Christian

Delegate Christian has proven time and again that people believe in her. She is the first African-American woman to serve on the Hampton School Board and the first African American since Reconstruction to represent the City of Hampton in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Born in Hampton, Delegate Christian earned a bachelor of science from Hampton Institute (now University), a master's degree from Columbia University and a doctorate from Michigan State University. She began her education career as an elementary school teacher in Hampton and later joined the faculty of Hampton University, where she served for almost 20 years. She retired in 1989 as the dean of the School of Education and is currently professor emerita.

Delegate Christian was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1986 and was among the first three African Americans appointed to the House Appropriations Committee. She continues to serve on the Appropriations Committee along with the Education and Rules Committees.

Many organizations have benefited from her experience in education and government. She serves on the boards of the Peninsula Association for Sickle Cell Anemia, American Lung Association and National Patient Advocate Foundation.

For her humanitarian efforts, the Peninsula Women's Forum presented Delegate Christian with the Inspirational Award in 2001, along with 100 Black Men of America, who bestowed upon her the Women of Courage Award in 2001. A visible testament to her legacy can be found at Thomas Nelson Community College, where Delegate Christian's name graces the campus auditorium.

"We must be prepared to offer both vision and solutions. Our vision must be one of empowerment, of taking those who have lost their sense of family and community and empowering them with a sense of pride and responsibility, " says Delegate Christian.